Turkey

Five weeks from Istanbul to Antalya to Cappadocia.

Istanbul

With nearly 20 million people, Istanbul marks the largest city either of us has ever visited. This city was a lot. It was stinky, dirty, crowded and noisy. We played a game called 'name that stench' around every corner which is why every other corner had someone selling some kind of strong perfume. But it was an amazing city certainly worth visiting. Bustling markets with anything you could think of to buy, historical mosques and structures dating back to multiple empires before and some of the tastiest food I've tried.

We enjoyed visiting the mosques, projecting an elegant call to prayer from the minarets speakers several times a day and reflecting blue sparkles from their stained glass and tile work over the city. We ate something called a Turkish breakfast that no joke kept us full for the rest of the day. And we rode a ship down the Bosporus at sunset enjoying Turkish food and whirling dervish dancers along the way.

We chose to stay in the Taksim neighborhood because it was close to all the local transit but it was very dirty and busy with hundreds of stairs to get anywhere. If we did it again, we would choose to stay in the Kadıköy neighborhood on the Asian side or Balat neighborhood across the bridge. They were cute and less busy with lots of more affordable options for food and shopping.

The first stroll through the Grand Bazar left us a bit shocked. We heard stories from many people that the shopping was very good in these markets and you could find great deals but we soon realized it was much more complicated than that. The smells of spices, perfume, hookah smoke and tea filled our lungs on our first steps inside the market. And then the colorful displays caught our eye with shouting from shop owners to "yes please sister, let us help you spend your money". Our second walk through the market we were a little more prepared but still didn't end up with anything except some reading glasses (that broke the next day) and a pair of slippers. The time and mental commitment it took to find something that was good enough quality to buy and then learn the art of the haggle to get it for a decent price was just not worth it for us. And the inflation in Turkey has risen significantly over the last year unfortunately making cheap travel in turkey a thing of the past.

We planned to spend a month in Istanbul but after two weeks we felt we had seen everything we wanted to see and the weather was starting to turn cold so we decided to head to a smaller (but still 2 million people) coastal town called Antalya.

Antalya

This little beach town was a breath of fresh air after Istanbul, especially in the off season. Even though it was still 25 degrees most of the tourists had gone home leaving affordable accommodations for November. This town had a lot to offer: A little harbor with touring ships, a long beach with lots of restaurants, water falls, ancient ruins and delicious food. We especially loved wandering around the charming old town, petting the stray kitties and window shopping in the Bazar. We even got to enjoy some live music and meet up with some other full time travelers for some coffee to trade travel stories.

We were pleased to learn that when we arrived at the end of November the water was still 25 degrees and so we had a couple of beach days. The beaches near us weren't that impressive but the water was clear and green and warm. Then we were able to rent a car and venture out to some of the ancient ruins that while on a busy summer day might be crowded, in November were virtually deserted.

Cappadocia

Our final stop in Turkey was spectacular! Wandering through otherworldly rock formations with dwellings carved into them, riding camels through stone sunsets, floating high above the landscape in a hot air balloon with hundreds of others was the perfect end to a trip in Turkey. It was a bucket list thing for us to see and I still get emotional looking at the photos. What an epic stop.

It's much more affordable this time of year but it was cold when we arrived and had to purchase some warmer clothing. At least the sun was still shinning most of the time. During the whole week we were there, the balloons only had good conditions to go up one day so we felt lucky to be in one.

Such a educational, interesting and tasty way to spend a month. Now off to Australia to spend the holidays with some long lost family.